Mechanical pencil



Aug. zo, 1946.

B. D. sMlTH MECHAICAL PENCIL Filed Aug. 1v, '194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 IIA.

AUS'- 20, 1946. B. D. SMITH v l A MECHANICAL PENCIL Filed Aug. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet- 2 Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNITED STA-Tiss @man Blanchard Drake Smith, Atlanta, lG'a., as'signor "to Scripta Manufacturing Company, Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of vGeorgia Application August 17, 1943, serial No, 498,952

l1 The invention relates to mechanical pencils .and has as an object the provision of` a'pencil provided with vlead propelling and retracting 'means of such a nature that the lead receiving bore of the pencil will be only slightly `larger `than :the lead itself, `whereby to provide support for the lead throughout its length.

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of a thin c'lutc'h operating in slots at diametri'callyopposite -portionsof the bore and provided` "with both propelling and retracting means land means for n'al expulsion of'a lead from the clutch.

A further object of the invention Ais to provide a .pencil having a novel `form of'lead magazine designed to hold at .ll'ea'st'two characters of lead 'either of 'which may 'be delivered -fromjthe magalZine 'at will. Y

Further objects will Yappear from y'the 'following description when Vread in vconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

' Figure f1 is a side elevation of 'the complete pencil;

Figure 2 is a detail side view'partly in central longitudinal `-section, drawn to fan enlarged scale;

Figure '12a is fa 'section similar to Figure 2 showing a different position 'of parts;

Figure 3 is adetailside elevation of a 'magazine portion of the pencil, vdrawn to rthe :scale ofFigure 2; l

Figures 4, 5, `and 6 are further venlarged transverse sections taken-on lines 4-4, 5 5, and 6 6, respectively, of Figure 2;

Vligure 7 is a still `fur-ther Ienlarged perspective view :of the propelling mechanism.;

Figure .8 is :a `like view of the clutch; and

Figure 9 .is a like view of the magazine control plate.

As shown, the invention. embodies a double ended pencil for the carrying of leads of different characters as, for instance, red and blue, soft and hard. The propelling .mechanism at each end of the pencil may be ofthe character of that shown in detail in the drawings.

As shown, the barrel of the pencil i's formed 6 claims. (o1. :12o- 181) contains the lead bore and 'which terminates fin a point member I 8 having shoulders at the vpoints Fi, ifi, abutting against the -outer barrel portionsv I) Iand il. The member il, as `*will be seen in Figures -4 vand 5, is formed `with slots I9, '20 :at diametrically opposite portions yof the lead-receiving bore 2|, the slot 2li extending to the surface of the member I'I. i p

V-l`./lova"cle in the slots I9 and 20, there is Vslfiovv'n the clutchv member 22 `which'is relatively thin land' which is provided vwith the lead receiving jaws 23 extending from each vside of a yslit 2`4 terminating in an opening .2 5 to provide flexibility of Ithe clutch. Coacting with the clutch 22 is the propellingmember 2-6 including a nut, carrying screwthread segments 2l, which Vmember iprojects through the slot 2l? and through the slot of the sleeve i4 into engagement with the screwthreads vIii whereby revolution of the member I'I caused by holding-the point I8 and revolving vthe outer barrel will cause traveling of the rmember carrying with it the clutch 22 and Yan engaged lead.

The Aclutch 22 isshovvn as formed with a 'slot T39 Vhaving" an oiset providingjcam surfaces 3l 'and 32 at 'its opening which coact with a lug 33 carried by the member 26. The member V26 is also shown Wi-th a laterally projecting shoulder SII lstanding normally between the jaws `23 as shown in Figure 2a. In this position of the parts fthe vlug i3d vstands between the cams 53'I and 32.

ii'fthe normal use 'of the pencil, the lug 33 vcannotffurther' enter the slot 13S lsince the surface 35, underlying the interior of the barrel is prevented 5by the interior ofthe barrel I3 from moving out- `vvardly andthe member 25 and the clutch 2 2 must -travel, together.

A VAdjacent the point I8 the screwthreads I3 of the lbarrel I() are omitted and a tubular member 'Slis inserted. The internal dia-meter ofthe member 5? yis shown as substantialiy equal to the root diameter oi fthe screwthreads I3, 'and is at leastfsucient to permit an outward movement of 'surface 35 to bring vslot t0 'into alignment with lugi. "The "inner opening of the lmember* 3l is shown as formed with an annular ange 38 the edge of which 'aligns with the 4crests of said Ascrewthreads. The outward movement of :the surface 35 occurs when the clutch 22 reaches its outward travel and the lug 33 acting on cam face 3| forces the clutch outwardly and so retains it during the expulsion of the lead by continued advance of the lug 33 in slot 30, and the arrival or" the projecting shoulder 34 at the pencil point opening as shown in Figure 2. When the clutch indicated by dotted lines in said figure.

Y of the-nut 2r acting through the shoulder 34 expels the lead from the clutch, the parts assuming the position shown in Figure 3.

Upon retraction of the nut, the-mg 33, Striking the cam* surface 32, will again move the clutch to the position shown in Figure-2aA whereupon a new lead may be inserted to .be frictionally grasped by the jaws 23. Y 1 The combined thickness of the propelling memembodiment of the invention `within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A mechanical pencil structure comprising a cylindrical body member having a marking-element-receiving bore open for protrusion of the element and a longitudinal slot opening to said bore and to the surface of the member.; an interinally screwthreaded sleeve member surrounding said body member and closing said slot; saidv v members associated for relative rotation; marking element control means slidable in said slot and i comprising a propelling portion and a clutch porber 26 and the clutch 22 is'less than the diam- -eter ofthe bore, and the required width-of slot..`

for their reception leaves more than 180 of arc of the bore so that the leadwhich forms a good slidingiit in the bore will be supported throughlout its length and thereforev colored leads which maybe weaker `than black` leads are better able to support pressure against the points which, except Vfor ,this support, wouldcause iiexure and .possible breakage of the lead'. v

The magazine portion II of the pencil is lined bythe sleeve I4 andis divided into two portions .byu/leans of aplate .39,.an end of which plate 40 is received in a slot 4I at one end of the barrel portion II.- e

`To provide for exure'of the plate 39 it is slitted Aby. right angular s1it-42. The magazine is Vshown -as formed with an elongated opening 43 the width Aoi which Vis slightly more than the diameter of the lead plus the thickness of the plate 39. The plate 39 is shown as formed with a roughened thumb lug 43 projecting through an opening 44 inthe end of the barrel portion I I.

39 prevents egress of leads from either side thereof. When itis forced to one side to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 6, a lead may escape from the other side of the magazine as An indication of the color of lead which may be secured by moving the thumbpiece 43 in either direction is desirably placed upon the exterior of the barrel as shown at 4'5.

. To assemble the pencil structure the partition ,'39 isinserted into the sleeve I4 and the sleeve and partition are placed in the magazine casing fII. The casings .I and I2 are then slipped on .thesleeve' I4 after which the bodies I1 carrying the members 22 and 26 are forced into the sleeve from its opposite ends, the bodies forming a tight Iiit in the sleeve "so as to be not revoluble therein. The margins of the slot in the sleeve I4 being turned to overlie the attened portion of the slots in the bodies I'I assist in preventing relative rotation between the bodiesand the sleeve.

When the bodies I1 are inserted the nut and clutch kmembers occupy they relative positions shown in Figure 2 and during the last part of the insertion the casings I0 and I2 are revolved vto engage the nut with the internal screwthreads.

Minor changes may be made in the physical .4o l When standing in the central position, the plate tion in side by side relation; said propelling portion formed with a screwthread element coacting with said internal screwthreads and with a shoulder positioned to impinge upon the end of a marking'element held by the clutch portion; one of said portions formed with a longitudinal Y Vslot with complemental diagonal cam surfaces at an end thereof; the other o f said portions carrying a lug normally contacting one of said surfaces; an edge -of said clutch portion underlying a part of one of said members to prevent `edgewise movementA of said clutch portion; the part of said member overlying saidedge cut away adjacent the opening of the boreto permit such edgewise movement; land means whereby, at the limit of travel of the 'controlmeans, edgewise-movement of the'clutch portion permits entry of the` lug into thel slot and Y named slot and open to said bore with the clutch portion entering both slots.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the slot in the body portion terminates short of the marking element protrusion opening. n

6. A mechanical pencil structure comp-rising in combination: .a' central cylindrical body member formed with a marking-element receiving bore, with a longitudinal slot opening vto said bore and to the surface of the body, and with a second slot diametrically opposite therst named slot and opening to said bore; the Width of said slots being less than the diameter of said bore; an internally screw-threaded cylindervmember surrounding said body member; said members associated for relative rotation; marking-elementclutch 'means mounted to travel in said slots; marking elementdrive means also traveling in at least .one

of said slots and. having screw thread segmentsy BLANCHARD DRAKE SMITH. 

